Tech Transforms

Have you heard? Data is the new oil. JR Williamson, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer at Leidos, is here to explain where data’s value comes from, the data lifecycle and why it is essential for organizations to understand both of those things in order to protect this valuable resource. Join us as JR breaks it all down and also explores the concept he dubbed “risktasity,”...

What will 2024 have in store for technology development and regulation? Our hosts, Carolyn Ford and Mark Senell, sat down with Roger Cressey, Partner at Mountain Wave Ventures, Ross Nodurft, Executive Director of the Alliance for Digital Innovation and Willie Hicks, Public Sector Chief Technologist for Dynatrace, to discuss their 2024 predictions. Discover what the experts think will occur next ye...

On this special So What? episode we go deeper in to some of the top stories being covered on the It’s 5:05! podcast with It’s 5:05! contributing journalist, Tracy Bannon. How are cybersecurity stress tests battling misinformation and aiding in election security? Is AI contributing to election disinformation? How is the CIA using SpyGPT? Come along as Carolyn and Tracy go beyond the headlines to ad...

As technology rapidly innovates, it is essential we talk about technology policy. What better way to get in the know than to have an expert break it down for us? Meet Ross Nodurft, the Executive Director of the Alliance for Digital Innovation. Ross dives in, explaining the evolution of FedRAMP controls and the recent, giant, AI Executive Order (EO) from the White House. Listen in to find out what...

Have no fear, your new wingman is here! AI is by your side and ready to help you multiply your abilities. Patrick Johnson, Director of the Workforce Innovation Directorate at the DoD CIO discusses how his team is working to further implement AI ethically and safely in areas such as human capital to expedite finding talent. Patrick also shares his passion for building cyclical pipelines to ensure t...

Meet the man on a mission to make software bill of materials (SBOMs) boring. In this So What? episode, Tracy Bannon and Carolyn Ford sit down with Allan Friedman the Senior Advisor and Strategist at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Allan tells us about how he is working to change how all software on the planet is made and sold, no big deal right? Join us as we dive into...

In the final, crossover episode of our three-part Halloween series,  Eric Monterastelli , Public Sector SE at Delinea, Founder, Crew Chief of Gran Touring Motorsports and Host of the Break/Fix Podcast, joins Carolyn Ford and Tracy Bannon to discuss the scary reality of car security. Is your car spying on you? Can a nefarious actor take over your car? Does your car know your deep personal data...

In the second episode of our 3-part Halloween series, Grant Schneider , Senior Director of Cybersecurity Services at Venable and former federal CISO, discusses the frightening implications of insider threats, how we are protecting critical infrastructure, and what it was like working on cybersecurity in the White House under both President Obama and President Trump. Key Topics 00:03:59 Increased c...

In the first episode of our 3-part Halloween series, Dave Egts, Mulesoft Public Sector Field CTO at Salesforce, details what's scaring the public sector most and how Salesforce is utilizing - and securing - AI to improve customer experience with their Einstein Trust Layer. Additionally, Carolyn and Dave dive into the spooky worlds of brain cell chips, mind-reading AI and more. Key Topics [02:...

In this So What? episode, Jon Pelson , author of the best-selling book " Wireless Wars ," discusses China’s impact on the telecommunications space. He also shares the frightening security concerns around Chinese components in 5G networks and discusses why the FCC's ban on these components may not be enough. Key Topics [01:30] China's Success in the Telecom Industry [05:12] China's Grip on 5G [08:2...

On this special episode, Willie Hicks and Carolyn Ford discuss the Billington Cybersecurity Summit, as well as insights from panels, led by Willie, on workforce automation and zero trust. Key Topics [00:22] Willie's Workforce Automation Panel Highlights [03:28] The Difference Between Training & Education [11:11] Securing Data In A Zero Trust World Panel Highlights [16:31] Willie's Experience w...

Sandi Larsen , Vice President, Global Security Solutions at Dynatrace , joins our host Carolyn Ford to share her perspectives on the relationship between zero trust and defense in depth. She also discusses her storied career, leadership and what it's like to be a woman in technology (although she dislikes the term). Additionally, Sandi shares her advice on identifying mentors, finding your voice a...

Tom Billington , CEO of Billington CyberSecurity and Producer of the Billington CyberSecurity Summit, joins Carolyn and co-host Mark Senell to discuss the upcoming 14th Annual Billington CyberSecurity Summit , what goes into creating a valuable community for both the government and the commercial sector, and the important topics that will be the basis for this year's conference. Key Topics [02:58]...

Ann Dunkin , Chief Information Officer (CIO) at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), joins Carolyn and guest host Willie Hicks to discuss the National Cybersecurity Strategy and what it takes to secure a large agency like the DOE, as well as how agencies balance cybersecurity compliance and risk management. She also highlights the DOE's role in the Partnership for Transatlantic Energy and Climate...

Dr. Aaron Drew , Technical Director for the Supply Chain Management (SCM) Product Line at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Information and Technology, joins Carolyn to discuss the challenges of supply chain, modernization and risk management. Dr. Drew outlines the steps an organization can take to modernize and maximize applications for end users as well as capitalize on data anal...

Tracy Bannon , Senior Principal/Software Architect & DevOps Advisor at MITRE , returns to Tech Transforms for our So What segment to discuss all things generative AI. Following Tracy's presentation at the RSA Conference 2023 , she and Carolyn discuss everything from software development lifecycle to the potential that various AI models may have. Key Topics [01:29] - Software Development Lifecy...

Alan Gross , Solutions Architect & Tech Lead at Sandia National Laboratories , joins Carolyn to talk about how DevOps is being leveraged to support the Department of Energy's contractor operated research lab. Alan dives into some of the initiatives at Sandia National Laboratories, and how he is applying his personal philosophy around user experience ops, or "UX Ops," to support the mission. Ke...

Paul Scharre , Vice President and Director of Studies, at Center for a New American Security (CNAS), joins Carolyn and Mark to dive into his newest book, Four Battlegrounds: Power in the Age of Artificial Intelligence . From the first time he recognized the power AI could hold, to the ways AI may put us on a path to global peace, Paul offers valuable insight and perspective on the field of artific...

This week, Michael Edenzon , Co-Founder of Fianu Labs , joins Tech Transforms to talk about why automated governance is so critical to mission success. Michael also provides some great insight into his recently co-authored book Investments Unlimited . Key Topics [02:08] About Fianu Labs [04:54] What passes as evidence and how does it play into automated governance? [09:29] Michael's book: Investme...

In this episode of Tech Transforms, Nihal Krishan, tech reporter at FedScoop, discusses how and where the American government is lagging behind in technology, but there is a focus on modernization to improve the situation. We also talk about the need for comprehensive data privacy legislation and how budget caps may impact government agencies' modernization initiatives. Additionally, we explore co...

Nihal Krishan, Tech Reporter at FedScoop joins Carolyn for a special two-part episode to talk about some of the hottest topics in government tech. In Part 1, Nihal gives some eye-opening insight on all things ChatGPT including security, privacy, and national bans. Episode Table of Contents [0:25] Introducing Our Guest, Nihal Krishan [7:39] We Need to Upskill [15:45] How the U.S. Government Is Deal...

Col. Candice Frost, JIOC Commander at United States Cyber Command joins Carolyn and Mark to talk about her journey as a lifelong-learner, and how she is applying her skills to the innovative work at Cyber Command. From the importance of public-private partnerships, to teaching our kids healthy cyber security habits, Col. Frost offers her valuable insights on how we can all think innovatively and b...

Commander Jonathan White, Cloud and Data Branch Chief at the United States Coast Guard joins Carolyn and Mark to talk about the groundbreaking developments his team is doing with C5I. Commander White stresses the importance of public-private partnerships, and gives tips on how agencies can better approach the future of technology. Episode Table of Contents [0:33] What Is C5I? [7:54] What Are the G...

Stephen Magill, Vice President, Product Innovation at Sonatype dives into the complexities of open source and software security. Find out how government agencies are utilizing open source, and what Sonatype is doing to help secure our most trusted software. Episode Table of Contents [0:23] The Core Focus Area of Open Source Technology [7:24] The Security Measures Open Source Implements [14:32] A V...

Billy Mitchell, Editor-in-Chief at FedScoop joins Carolyn to discuss surveillance, national intelligence, the benefit of partnerships, and more. Billy gives his perspective on today's hot topics in federal technology, and what he thinks may be coming next. Episode Table of Contents [0:23] Federal Technology and Its Battle Against Balloons [7:18] Varying Opinions Towards Federal Technology Problems...